Extreme Measures: A Thriller

The book by Vince Flynn was a definite five star book, how they could ruin the audio book by having George Guidall perform it is beyond my understanding. I am a huge Vince Flynn fan and like to hear the audio books after I have read the hardback. George Guidall sounds like a very old man trying to keep his false teeth in his mouth. This is a younger, high energy, action story. Listening to George could put you to sleep. His constant whistling "S" sound, dropping sound at the end of words and talking too fast to understand at times makes this very difficult to listen to for any length of time. Armand Schultz does some of Vince Flynn's and does an excellent job. George is just not the right person for an action story. Thank God there is a book to read and this isn't the only source for the story. DEFINITELY read the book, but you won't miss anything by passing on the audio version.

I am a big fan of Vince Flynn and have read all of his other books.

As other reviewers have noted, this book does not have Mitch Rapp, who is Flynn's central character in all of his other books, at the heart of the action. Therefore if this is the first time that you are reading Flynn, you won't really get an accurate picture of how his other books are structured.

Nonetheless, Flynn writes well and keeps the action moving. I don't think that this book is Flynn's best because sometimes it sounds a little preachy, but the topic is timely --extreme measures is a euphemism for torture-- namely, to what extent do we go to ensure national security. All of Flynn's novels tend to espouse a conservative outlook, and this one makes no bones in emphasizing the severe consequences of taking a too liberal approach to terrorism. Putting politics aside, this is a good political thriller, but not as good as the other books where Mitch Rapp is the centerpiece of the action.

Both Extreme Measures and Protect and Defend are disappointing. Both novels have way too much time developed to Mike Nash and his home life.

Not to spoil the story line but very much enjoyed the method of attack on America.

Hopefully Flynn will spend more time on Rapp and the plot and less time of Hash in his next venture.

Extreme measures is a good read but not one of Vince Flynn's best efforts. It starts slow but once it begins to build to the climax of the story it is hard to put down.

If I had the mythical wallet of endless wealth, I would buy up a few hundred thousand copies of EXTREME MEASURES, Vince Flynn's latest Mitch Rapp novel, and start passing them out on street corners. Given that it's that time again, when the American electorate is about to decide who is going to drive the Lexus for the next four years, one needs to make informed decisions. And if you haven't considered the issues raised in this book, I would suggest that you really need to take that extra step.

EXTREME MEASURES brings Rapp and his colleague/protégé Mike Nash together for what may well be their ultimate mission. The CIA has detected and captured two terrorist cells; information indicates that yet a third is on a mission that is all but certain to take place in dramatic fashion on U.S. soil. Rapp and Nash are in the midst of a rough but effective interrogation when they are interrupted by agents of their own government --- the government of the country they are sworn to protect --- and, in an almost Orwellian but realistic turn of events, Rapp finds himself subject to arrest for fighting a war in defense of his country.

While focusing on domestic espionage and over-the-shoulder views of terrorist planning, the primary mission of EXTREME MEASURES is to examine the enemy within --- the questionably well-intended members of government who seem to delight in hamstringing military personnel with rules as they fight against an enemy who understands that the main rule of warfare is to win at any cost. While Rapp is brought before the judiciary committee in proceedings that are most generously described as being similar to a kangaroo court, a terrorist cell plots a multifaceted series of events designed to strike at the heart of the government that seems obsessed, against all logic, with protecting their rights while disregarding the health and safety of its own citizens.

As he has before, Flynn demonstrates that he truly understands the psyche of the enemy. To put it in plain terms, these guys are really scary, primarily because they are so realistic. Led by an erratic mastermind whose goal is to become the acknowledged leader of al-Qaeda, the terrorist cell slowly but steadily executes a by-the-numbers plot that will paralyze the country, while Rapp, perhaps the only person who has a prayer of successfully terminating their operation, is short-leashed by a judiciary committee headed by an egocentric chairman in love with the sound of her own voice. As the book races toward a catastrophic, and ironic, conclusion, more than one perfumed prince comes to realize that inaction, as well as action, can result in tragic consequences that reach further than can be anticipated.

Flynn's latest effort is complete in itself, with a beginning, middle and definite ending. Be forewarned, however: it is only the first half of a story that will not see its climax until 2009. Please don't vote without reading EXTREME MEASURES.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub